Buckeye Ranch Trail

Near the city of Lafayette, Californina, is a great hidden treasure called Buckeye Ranch Trail in the Briones Regional Park. Here dogs can run off leash through an oak-tree-lined trail that follows a small creek. I do a Wednesday night walk every week at 6:30pm for an hour and am joined by other Vizsla owners.
Yesterday, Bailey and Clara (one of Lyn's great dogs) came to a gate and both saw the love of their lives just on the other side of this gate. A bird standing in the grass. Love is a funny thing.
Note: I just found that if you click on the picture is opens to a large image. Cool.

Letter from Jack Sharkey

Letter from Jack Sharkey to me on June 8, 2009

"Sounds like you are really hooked as I was on working with your dogs and having a ball of a time. The only comment I have is that you really need to be careful using a shotgun around your dog without really preparing him for it. Please be careful as once a dog becomes gun shy, forget it after that! I can't emphasize this point more strongly.

I will look for Bailey's name in the blue ribbons from the West Coast. Good luck in your training and above all, be gentle with your Vizslas. They are really soft as you know, but will do anything for you in return for your love to them.

Have a terrific day!"

Jack

Jack Sharkey - my dog world inspiration

In a web search about the Vizsla I had come across the story of Jack Sharkey. Here he is at 74 in this video explaining his love for the Vizsla. He wrote a book- - "Winning Ways" - about field trials and other dog training. He is my inspiration for looking 10, 20, and 30 years into my future. I'm 55 now.

Delta dog

Wanting dogs that loved the water was important to us. We have an older '82 Malibu 22-foot day cruiser that we use to travel many of the waterways of the Sacramento Delta on warm summer weekends.

Here Chloe and I are enjoying the sun after a nice swim. We are tied up near Walnut Grove in July of 2008. This was a month before Bailey joined our family.

She is a fantastic and strong swimmer. Over the last 18 months, she has enjoyed the ocean waters from Santa Barbara to Long Beach, Washington.

She loves the rivers, lakes, and bays in Northern California and Oregon.

The nice part is that we like them too.